I have been involved with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County for over seven years. I started off by joining one of their committees and was immediately impressed with the work they do to support our local students and teachers. From there I became a board member, and today I serve as board chair.

Recently I was asked the question, what keeps me engaged with the Education Foundation year after year? The easy answer is that I love to support education. But it’s deeper than that and the best way to truly answer this question is by sharing the inspiring story of Shandrea and how a caring community can change a life.

Shandrea’s early years were not defined by hardship, but as circumstances shifted, her mother found herself raising three children on her own. She worked three jobs, doing everything she could to keep her family afloat. Despite support from the community, the weight was heavy, and by high school, Shandrea knew she would have to find her own way forward. She deeply respected her mother’s efforts and work ethic, but she also wanted more—more opportunity, more stability, and a future she could build for herself.

That future began to take shape when a friend invited Shandrea to an SAT prep workshop hosted by the Sarasota Housing Authority. Shy by nature, she hesitated—but she went. During the workshop, she connected with a member of the Housing Authority’s resident services team, someone she remembered from years earlier when her mother participated in a family self-sufficiency program. This time, the focus was on Shandrea’s own future.

After hearing Shandrea share her dream of attending college, she helped connect her to a Student Success Coach at the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. That introduction changed everything. Throughout her senior year, the coach worked closely with Shandrea—supporting FAFSA completion, essays, scholarships, and interview preparation—while building trust, confidence, and momentum.

Through the Education Foundation’s Future-Ready program, Shandrea toured Florida Gulf Coast University and later attended Florida International University’s summer stop-out program, where she had the opportunity to experience college life first-hand. Even after the FIU deadline had passed, her coach encouraged her to apply and helped open the door. These experiences allowed Shandrea to envision herself on a college campus—something she had never imagined before.

Shandrea became the first in her family to graduate from high school. Today, supported by multiple scholarships, including an Education Foundation Future-Ready scholarship, she started her freshman year at FIU, studying health sciences.

“I couldn’t see how great I was from the outside looking in,” Shandrea said. “They helped me see it.”

Shandrea is already taking steps toward her future. Stories like hers are not rare at the Education Foundation—they are the result of a caring community coming together to remove barriers, open doors, and believe in students before they learn to believe in themselves. That is why I remain deeply committed to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County: because when we invest in students together, we don’t just support education, we change lives—one student at a time.